The big stripper! Thrill seekers take part in naked rollercoaster ride in a bid to make £10,000 for cancer charityBy Euan McLelland26 October 2015

Dozens of thrill seekers braved the cold weather to strip off and take part in a naked rollercoaster ride to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

The Guinness World Record was set in 2010 when 102 people rode the Green Scream at Adventure Island in Southend without any clothes.

Five years on and 57 people celebrated the world record by riding the attraction in the buff, raising more than £10,000 for Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation's Keyhole Cancer Appeal.

Dozens of thrill seekers braved the cold weather to strip off and take part in a naked rollercoaster ride to raise thousands of pounds for charity

Five years after a world record for nude riders was broken on the Adventure Island rollercoaster, 57 people celebrated by riding the attraction in the buff, raising more than £10,000 for Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation's Keyhole Cancer Appeal

Thrill seekers travelled from all over the UK, including Edinburgh, Newcastle and Swindon, to take part in the challenge

They travelled from all over the UK, including Edinburgh, Newcastle and Swindon, to take part in the challenge. Adventure Island operations director Andrew Renton said: 'It's been an absolutely superb day with people all enjoying the chance to do something memorable, good fun and raise a large amount of money for a fantastic, local charity.

Everyone on board soaked up the fun atmosphere as they sped over the tracks with the wind in their hair

The roller coaster speeds round a bend packed with the nude revellers who were all doing their bit for charity

The group of fundraisers line up doing their best to conceal their private parts as they prepare for the ride

Two women snap a fun photo standing in the nude as one man - wearing nothing but glasses - admires their handy selfie stick

'We've heard some amazing stories from so many who have been directly, or indirectly, affected by cancer and wanted to give something back. I am really proud Adventure Island could offer them this opportunity. Admittedly it would have been nice to have bettered our record - but we are still the World Record holders at the end of the day.'

Lucy Thomas-Clayton, from Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation, said: 'It takes a lot of nerve to take off all your clothes in front of complete strangers, plus the world's media - so we would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who was brave enough to bare all and raise such a huge amount of cash for our vitally important cause.'

Some of the fleet make it to open water after the start of the annual Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015. Photo: APHarriet Alexander

A group of struggling sailors in Sydney were given a surprising rescue when they found themselves being hauled to shore by a nudists.

A small wooden boat had sailed out to watch the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart race, which sees 100 vessels set out on Boxing Day every year. Michael Clarke, the recently-retired Australian cricket captain, was one of a handful of celebrities taking part in the 628 nautical mile race, which drew 600,000 to the Harbour to watch the start.

But as spectators were walking back along the coast, they saw a boat get in to trouble near Lady Bay Beach – a popular site for nudists. "The boat came angling into the shore, which was a bit weird,” said Chris Pearce, a photographer with Getty agency. I thought maybe they were dropping someone off, but then a guy with a kid started screaming at the people on the shore, saying expletives, 'come help, come help'. You could see a fair bit of water on the boat." Mr Pearce said that a crowd of people swimming in the sea came to their rescue, in waters around three feet deep.

After the woman and child were rescued from the boat, those left on board started to see the funny side of the situation. Photographs of the rescue show at least one man on board grinning as nude men surrounded the boat, ready to lend a hand.

The spectacle, which lasted for around five minutes, was watched by hundreds. "Everyone basically just stopped and watched and looked as this happened," said Mr Pearce. "When they were walking past everyone thought it was funny, because it was a nudist beach, and then this happened."

The celebrated race was founded in 1945. Initially it was planned to be a Boxing Day cruise, but when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer, Captain John Illingworth, suggested it be made a race, the event was born.

Supermaxi yacht Wild Oats XI competes in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney on Boxing Day Photo: AFP/Getty/Rolex

For eight of the past ten years, the race has been won by Wild Oats, which in 2012 set the record for the fastest crossing – one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds. But on Saturday, in news which shocked Australia’s sailing community, Wild Oats was forced to turn back to Sydney, suffering from a torn mainsail. Supermaxi Comanche – leading the race – had also decided to retire from the race not long after with a broken rudder and damaged daggerboard. More yachts were expected to be forced back overnight in the wake of the strong gusts.

NEW YORK (AP) -- About 100 naked people gathered on Saturday to paint the town red - and blue, green, orange, magenta and neon yellow.

Dozens of artists used the naked bodies as canvases on the third annual NYC Bodypainting Day, which celebrates freedom of artistic expression and body acceptance. The volunteer models, including Charles Darius, doffed their duds in Manhattan's Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, outside the United Nations headquarters, for a few hours of painting before boarding double-decker buses and taking their art show throughout the city.

"I enjoy being nude," said Darius, whose parents are from Europe and took him to nude beaches often when he was a child. "It's a pleasure to indulge in that enjoyment on a sidewalk in Manhattan."

Onlookers, many snapping photos and shooting videos on their cellphones, shared words of encouragement with the models, who endured two- or three-hour painting sessions on an overcast day with temperatures in the low 70s.

Artist Andy Golub, who painted bodybuilder Vanessa Adams, created NYC Bodypainting Day as a way to promote human connection through art. He said he and the other artists were creating art inspired by the models' "inner beauty," the theme for this year's event. Adams, participating for the first time, said she had a bit of the jitters standing naked in front of scores of people. "Let's hurry up and paint my face so I'll be incognito," she said. "If I'm green, no one will know it's me."

Public nudity is legal in the city when it's for artistic purposes, such as a play, a performance or an art show. But Golub and model Zoe West were arrested in 2011 during a bodypainting project in Times Square. West sued over the arrest, and the city paid her a $15,000 settlement.

Golub said Bodypainting Day, which also takes place in Amsterdam and is scheduled for Brussels, makes "the world a better place" by benefiting everyone involved. He said the artists get to share their voices with the public, the models get to embrace their bodies and the public gets to appreciate all the types of people on display.

Some of the NYC Bodypainting Day event's artists, including Matt Deifer, also painted models at last summer's Philly Naked Bike Ride.

The sun wasn’t out but the guns most definitely were when thousands of people stripped off to take part in The Sydney Skinny annual charity race.

Close to 1400 swimmers flocked to Cobblers Beach in Sydney’s Middle Harbour, daring to bare as they swam the 300 and 900 metre course. But before your inner prude kicks in, all that nudity was for a good cause.

With the event about “personally challenging yourself to step ever-so-slightly outside your comfort zone”, it’s all about the journey – and not the nudity - for everyone who takes part.

In fact, no spectators are allowed and all swimmers are given sarongs as they come out of the water. Oh, and swimmers are encouraged to raise money for charity partners including Foundation for Parks and Wildlife and Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.

For surfing legend Layne Beachley, the day was about having fun without any inhibitions whatsoever. “It’s amazing how many excuses people have when I say ‘you want to come swim nude with me?’ and they’re like ‘Uh, maybe give me another 12 months when I’ve lost all little bit more weight,’” Layne told the TODAY show. "We're all born, flesh and blood, and it's a matter of just going outside, having some fun and swimming with thousands of people."

NEW YORK (AP) -- Dozens of people have gathered in Times Square to tell the naked truth - or tell the truth naked.

Brooke Champlain stood nude in one of New York's busiest areas Friday with the slogan "We're All Just Stardust" painted around her bellybutton during Body Notes, an event organizers say was designed to uplift people.

The nude models were painted in view of gawking tourists and heavily armed police. Brushed onto their bare torsos were pithy slogans, including, "Embrace Love And Life" and "Born Naked."

Body Notes is the brainchild of Andy Golub, producer of NYC Bodypainting Day. He says it lets people express themselves through "their words and their bodies." He was inspired by the "Subway Therapy" art project of sticky notes containing people's thoughts after the presidential election.

Save the date: Next Philly Naked Bike Ride just days awayAugust 29, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The wheels are in motion for Philadelphia's next gathering of naked bicyclists.

Organizers of the Philly Naked Bike Ride said Tuesday the ninth annual event will take place throughout the city's streets Sept. 9. Around 3,000 riders are expected to pass by sites including Independence Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Sylvester Stallone ran up the steps while training as Rocky.

Ride organizers say participants can go as bare as they dare. Last year some riders wore nothing at all or sported body paint while others wore underwear. Los Angeles artist Matt Deifer is among those who'll be in Philadelphia to paint the naked cyclists before they pedal away.

The ride is to protest against dependence on fossil fuels, advocate for the safety of cyclists and promote positive body image.

A country known for its laissez-faire attitude to nudity, France already boasts stacks of beaches, campsites and pools that can be enjoyed in the nude.

But now, Paris has opened its first-ever naked restaurant where diners can bare all while tucking in to dinner, Le Parisien reports. Aptly named O’naturel, the restaurant opened to the public on Friday after a successful private dinner reserved exclusively for the Paris Naturist Association on Thursday. “Tonight, we only had the members of the Paris Naturist Association,” Managers Mike and Stephane Saada told Le Parisien. “They’ve supported us from the beginning, and we reserved our first soirée for them.” The pair added that the members were delighted with the experience and it seems they’re not the only ones.

Intrigued at first, the neighbourhood’s residents seem perfectly at ease with the launch of the restaurant, which can be found on rue de Gravelle in the 12th arrondissement. “It doesn’t bother me at all, or my neighbours,” a man called Mehdi told the newspaper. “We don’t see anything from the street. We know what’s happening. It’s not a massage parlour.”

A dinner at the restaurant, which seats 40, offers diners a meal that costs around €30 (£26), after they are asked to leave all their clothes in a wardrobe before entering. And, while it remains to be seen whether Parisians will warm to the idea of naked dining specifically, with more than 2.6 million people in France making nudism a regular habit, it’s certainly a scene that’s positively booming.

In fact, the city already boasts one public pool where people can swim in the buff up to three times a week, as well as around 460 areas including camping sites and beaches.

Women taking their right to go topless to state's high courtBy MICHAEL CASEYJanuary 13, 2018

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- In a case that pits freedom of expression and equality against public decency, three women are challenging a New Hampshire city ordinance prohibiting public nudity and taking it to the state's highest court.

Heidi Lilley, Kia Sinclair and Ginger Pierro were ticketed in 2016 in Laconia after they went topless at Weirs Beach over Memorial Day weekend. Pierro was doing yoga, while the other two were sunbathing. Some beachgoers complained and a police officer asked them to cover up. When they refused, they were arrested. A legal motion to dismiss a case against the women was denied so they have appealed it to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, which is expected to hear the case Feb. 1. The women want the court to dismiss their conviction by invalidating the city's ordinance.

The three women argue there's no state law forbidding female toplessness and that the ordinance is discriminatory since men are allowed to go shirtless. They also contend their constitutional rights to freedom of expression were violated. "The law in the state of New Hampshire is that it is legal for a woman to go topless so we're trying to get the town of Laconia to recognize and to stay with the state," Lilley said. "The town ordinance, in our opinion, is not constitutional. We're hoping the Supreme Court will see that."

The women are part of the Free the Nipple movement, a global campaign that argues it should be acceptable for women to bare their nipples in public, since men can. Supporters of the campaign also are taking their causes to courts with mixed success.

A U.S. District Court judge ruled in October that a public indecency ordinance in Missouri didn't violate the state constitution by allowing men, but not women, to show their nipples. But in February, a U.S. District Court judge blocked the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, from enforcing a law against women going topless, arguing it was based on gender discrimination. The city is appealing.

In New Hampshire, Lilley and another woman first challenged the ban when they were cited for going topless at a Gilford beach in 2015. A judge later dismissed that case but the Legislature took up the debate several months later, with a bill that would have made it a crime for women to expose their breasts or nipples in public.

Supporters of the bill warned that allowing women to go bare breasted at beaches could lead to scenes of topless women at libraries and Little League games. They said they were trying to protect families and children. Opponents said such a ban violates the state constitution.

The measure failed but not before an ugly online dispute in which several male legislators were criticized for sexist remarks, including one who suggested men should be allowed to grab the breast of topless women.

In the Supreme Court case, the women are getting support from the ACLU of New Hampshire, which argues free speech protections applies to both "popular and unpopular forms of expression." "Here, the Laconia ordinance prevents women from making choices about their state of bodily expression using the full range of options available to their male counterparts," said Gilles Bissonnette, the group's legal director. "This case presents an issue of significant importance concerning the right of women under the New Hampshire constitution to speak freely and the constitutional implications of codified stereotypes related to females' roles and sexuality."

In defending the ordinance, the New Hampshire Attorney General's office argues the ordinance just regulates what they can wear to the beach, not bar them entirely from the beach. It also argues the city has the right to "prevent any disturbances," noting women exposing their nipples would cause "disturbances" where a man without a shirt wouldn't.

For Lilley, who said she's fought for women's rights for decades, the case has come to symbolize more than just women being able to choose their beach attire. It's part of an effort to draw attention to inequality "straight across the board," though she seemed frustrated that women taking off their top was still so controversial. "It shouldn't be an issue," she said. "It's not an issue if a man takes off his shirt. Why should it be an issue if a woman takes off her shirt?"

French nudists get cheeky with theme park and museum outings29 June 2018

PARIS (AFP) - After a nude yoga class in a Paris park and a "no clothes day" at the city's trendiest art museum, hundreds of naturists are due to descend on a theme park near the French capital Sunday for a spot of trampolining.

France may be the world's top destination for naturist tourism -- with up to four million people holidaying "au naturel" every year -- but up until recently, French nudists have been rather more coy about shedding their clothes in the city. "We used to think it better not to show ourselves too much," said Cedric Amato, of the Paris naturism group ANP, which claims that the capital and its suburbs are home to as many as 88,000 nudists.

But all that is changing now. Naturists are actively promoting a summer nudist zone, opened last year, in Paris' biggest park, the Bois de Vincennes. And there is no hiding their naked ambition to make further inroads.

A nudist restaurant, O'Naturel -- a play on the French phrase for naked -- has opened its doors in the east of the city where club nights are also held. Paris has seen its first stand-up nudist comedy show too, in which both the audience and performer went without clothes. French naturists have also crossed the Rubicon of bare-bottomed bowling.

But what made headlines around the world earlier this month was when 30,000 people applied for a nude visit to the Palais de Tokyo art museum in the city -- even though there were only 161 places available. Amato said its huge success might spark visits to other Paris landmarks and museums, like the Louvre or the Pompidou Centre, which house some of the most famous nudes in the world. "Not only did it fulfill the needs of our members to practice naturism in the city, it got the message out," Amato told AFP, with hipster types strolling through the galleries helping to change naturism's rather dated older image.

Purists, however, prefer to strip off in a more natural and less urban setting. Even so, the large new nudist area created in the woods of Vincennes has not pleased everyone. Neighbouring suburban councils controlled by France's right-wing parties opposed the plans, which were pushed through by the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and her Green allies. "The area is screened off with trees so it is not imposing on anyone," Amato said, arguing that other major European cities like Berlin, London, Stockholm and Munich have long had official areas reserved for nudists.

Johnny, 70, one of the nudists enjoying the summer sun in the newly created forest glade, hailed its creation. "It's great. We no longer have to do this secretly or be clandestine anymore and it allows us to show that there is nothing untoward happening." He insisted that naturism was a great way of meeting people since social barriers disappear. "No one is judging you by what you wear. No one is wearing a flashy Hugo Boss, or looking down on you for wearing Zara," he added.

On the rather fresh day AFP visited the clearing, only 50 nudists -- mostly men -- were enjoying the weak sunshine. But organisers said that on warm days from April to October, up to 500 people descend on the spot to picnic or sunbathe. This month, nudists organised a mass yoga class there, doing their sun salutations and downward-facing dog poses together, while on Sunday hundreds are due to visit the Aventure Land theme park near Paris.

Johnny, however, has no time for such innovations. He much prefers strolling in a sylvan setting far from urban fripperies, and a man standing nearby criticised the ANP for organising the much-publicised art gallery visit. "It is very snobbish and typically Parisian thing to do. I don't see why anyone would want to do that," he added.

Despite the bids to renew its image, old taboos about nudism are still difficult to shift. A gay couple admitted they would never come out to work colleagues about being naturists, and said that they only found out about the nudist area in the woods because colleagues at work were joking about it. They said the area was very "gay friendly", though a neighbouring female nudist worried about peeping Toms sheltered behind three umbrellas.

Even so, Nadia Sabah rejoiced in her new-found freedom. "I started taking my clothes off in the woods here 10 years ago but the police would come and reprimand me," she added. Women tend to be a minority in the naturist community, Amato admitted, but he said the number of female members of his group has recently exploded, from three to 70.

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